Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Operation Payback is LIVE

Since we launched the CS:GO Maps Workshop[blog.counter-strike.net] back in February, over 1,400 maps have been uploaded. The CS team has been consistently blown away by how complex, well thought out, and just plain fun so many of these maps have been.

We really wanted these maps to reach a wider audience, and also get the people making these amazing new gameplay experiences rewarded for their efforts. But how? Luckily, in the time it takes a CT to hold up a flashbang and announce that it&#8217;s a flashbang, we hit upon the answer.

&#8220;Operation Payback[blog.counter-strike.net]&#8221; marks the first of an ongoing series of limited-time updates aimed at giving a well-earned financial reward to some of CS:GO&#8217;s most popular and prolific mapmakers. For a limited time, you can buy a pass half-priced for $2.99. That&#8217;ll get you unlimited access to a Classic Casual map group featuring seven of the highest-voted Workshop Maps. Invite your friends (even if they don&#8217;t have a pass) and enjoy uninterrupted low-ping play on official servers—all while rewarding CS:GO&#8217;s top-voted virtual mapmakers with real money. Buying a pass also gets you a one-of-a-kind challenge coin, upgradable by playing and viewable wherever your avatar is shown. &#8220;Operation Payback&#8221; will be live from now until July 31st, and it&#8217;s currently half-priced, so get in there[blog.counter-strike.net]!

And remember: &#8220;Payback&#8221; is just the beginning. Future Operations will highlight all-new collections of popular maps. So stay tuned, keep mapmaking, and keep upvoting!

"We really wanted these maps to reach a wider audience, and also get the people making these amazing new gameplay experiences rewarded for their efforts."

Does that mean they are going to add these as a free update map pack to the normal maps, or will they be taking the best of them and asking people to pay real money for them (ie. doing the exact opposite of what they say they are doing). Looks more like the second.